Supporting housing assembly for a printing machine

ABSTRACT

A manually operated printing machine includes a printing bed plate mounted on a housing extending over the front portion of the open top of the housing, and supporting the carrier of a printing unit which is located in the housing. A cover for the setting rack bars of the numbering unit, closes the rear portion of the open top of the housing, and is also secured to the carrier of the printing unit so that it is easy to accurately assemble the machine.

[ 1 Aug. 21, 1973 United States Patent 1191 Miyazaki 59 XX 55 mMo-n-m 111 1.1

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Tokyo, Japan Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant ExaminerEugene l-l. Eickholt Attorney-Michael S. Striker [22] Filed: Dec. 23, 1971 App1.No.: 211,191

ABSTRACT Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 28, 1970 A manually operated printing machine includes a printmg bed plate mounted on a housing extending over the front portion of the open top of the housing, and sup porting the carrier of a printing unit which is located in the housing. A cover for the setting rack bars of the numbering unit, closes the rear portion of the open top [52] US. 105/45, 101/95, 101/269 [51] Int.

B4ll 35/10 [58] Field of Search...................... 101/45, 269, 274,

of the housing, and is also secured to the carrier of the printing unit so that it is easy to accurately assemble the machine.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,138,091 6/1964 101/45 10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 21, 1973 2 Shoots-Shoot l INVENTOR )HYA L #21 ATTORNEY Pmmd Au 21, 1973 3,753,401

2 Shoots-Sheet 2 'INVENTOR kn/mv/ My 4 ATTORNEY SUPPORTING HOUSING ASSEMBLY FOR A PRINTING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to manually operated printing machines of the type in which a printing bed supports a printing plate and an embossed credit card, and has a cutout through which a portion of a set of type wheels with digital types project. When a carriage supporting a platen cylinder is moved over the printing bed, the printing plate, the credit card, and the set of number wheels which were previously set to a selected number, make an imprint on a copy sheet, with additional carbon copies.

It is necessary to accurately assemble the parts of the machine, so that the platen properly cooperates with the printing bed plate, and the type wheels are properly positioned in the cutout of the printing bed plate. Since the numbering unit including the type wheels and setting means, and also the printing bed plate are mounted on the housing, difficult adjustments are required in printing machines of the prior art. Furthermore, a cover is required through which manually operable knobs project which again requires a precise positioning of the manually operated rack bars in relation to the slots of the cover in which they move, which is difficult to accomplish if the cover is secured to the housing. The difficult and time-consuming assembly of the printing machines of the prior art, increases the cost of production.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to provide a manually operated printing machine which can be easily and quickly assembled with all parts accurately positioned as required.

Another object of the invention is to provide a printing machine which can be easily adjusted for placing all parts of the same in desired relative positions.

Another object of the invention is to use the housing of the machine for supporting only the printing bed plate with the carriage and printing roller, while all other parts are supported on the carrier of a printing unit which is secured to the printing bed plate.

With these objects in view, the carrier of the printing unit is attached to the printing bed plate which is mounted on the housing of the machine, and a cover for the printing unit is not'attached to the housing, but to the carrier of the numbering unit. The housing mainly serves the purpose of covering the printing unit, without directly supporting the same.

Since only the printing bed plate is attached to the housing, the housing need not be provided with bearing or supporting portions on which the other parts of the machine could be mounted.

An embodiment of the invention comprises a housing having front and rear walls and side walls but no top walls and forming an opening at least on top of the housing; a printing bed plate secured to the housing and extending between the side walls along the front wall, the printing plate having a width less than the distance between the front and rear walls, and covering the front portion of the top opening so that the rear portion of the top openings remains open; a printing unit including a carrier means secured to, and supported by the printing bed plate, and having a front portion located under the printing bed plate and a rear together portion located in the housing under the open rear portion of said top opening, and a printing mechanism supported by the carrier means and including a set of type wheels mounted on the front portion of the carrier means for rotation in a position projecting through the cutout in the printing bed plate to the top face of the same, and setting means for the type wheels having manually operated portions upwardly projecting from the rear portion of the top opening; and cover means secured to the carrier means and extending to the side walls, and to the rear wall, and into the proximity of the printing bed plate for closing said rear portion of said top opening, said cover means having openings through which the manually operated portions of the setting means project above the cover means. Due to this arrangement, the printing unit can be separately assembled and mounted by the carrier means on the printing bed plate, whereupon the cover means is mounted on the carrier means, and the printing bed plate is mounted on the housing so that the relative positions of the parts of the numbering unit and of the cover are independent of the housing.

In the preferred embodiment, the printing bed plate has parallel lateral edges spaced from the front wall and the front edge of the cover means, and forming gaps with the same. A carriage having lateral guide means located in the gaps and engaging the lateral edges of the printing bed plate is movable over the printing bed plate together with a platen mounted thereon for producing on a copy sheet imprints of printing plates on the printing bed plate, and of the set type wheels.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments -when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a manually operated printing machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the printing machine; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the printing machine taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 4 of the printing machine includes two parallel side walls 40 and 4b, a front wall 4c, and a rear wall 44', so that a rectangular opening 40 is formed on top of housing 4. The bottom edges of housing 4 have inner flanges 42 to which a bottom plate 43 is secured, as shown in FIG. 3. Two brackets 41 are secured to the front parts of the side walls 4a and 4b, and have openings into which threaded bolts 17, fixedly secured by welding to the underside of the printing bed plate 1, are inserted. Nuts. not shown are screwed onto bolts 17 for tightly pressing the printing bed plate 1 against the brackets 41 so that printing bed plate 1 is fixedly secured to the housing 4, extending over the front portion of the top opening 40, as best seen in FIG. 1.

On the top surface of the printing bed plate 1, printing plates 11 and 12 are secured which have printing types. An ordinal set of type wheels 13 has an upper portion projecting through a cutout 13a in the bed plate 1. Date wheels 14a are arranged in the same manner, and are set by a tool engaging the projecting portions of the date wheel 14a. The type wheels 13 have digital types 10 representing the digits to 9.

A carriage rotatably supports a platen roller 51 and is mounted on the bed plate 1. Carriage 5 has guide means embracing both lateral edges of the bed plate 1, including legs 50 depending from both sides of carriage 5 and extending through gaps 44 and 44a. Gap 4-4 is formed between the bed plate 1 and the front edge of a cover 2, and gap 440 is formed between the other lateral edge 15 of bed plate 1 and the top edge of the front wall 4c. Each leg 50 of carriage 5 supports a pair of rollers 53, 55, best seen in FIG. 3 which respectively roll on the bottom surface and top surface of the bed plate 1. In this manner, the carriage 5 can move platen 51 over the top surface of the printing bed plate 1 for pressing a copy sheet against the printing plate 11, 12 and the projecting portion of type wheels 13. Projecting portions 14 serve as guides for a copy sheet.

Another group of bolts 16 is fixedly secured to the underside of bed plate 1, for example by welding, and located substantially in the central portion of bed plate 1. In the assembled condition, bolts 16 are inserted into four bores formed in horizontal bent lugs 34 on two upright walls 36a, 36b of a carrier 36. Walls 36a and 36b are connected by transverse connectors 36c, 36d, see FIG. 3, which also serve to guide the bottom edges of rack bars 30 which are mounted between the Walls of carrier 36. Each type wheel 13 has a gear portion 32 meshing with a correlated rack bar 30.

When the threaded bolts 16 are inserted into the bores 34 they are secured by nuts 19 threaded onto the bolts 16 below the lugs 34, provided with springs 18, so that the carrier 36 is fixedly secured to the bed plate 1 in a position in which the front portion of carrier 36 is located under the bed plate 1, while the rear portion of carrier 36 is located in the rear part of housing 4, under the cover 2.

The carrier 34 is part of a printing unit 3 which also includes the type wheels 13 which are rotatably mounted on walls 36a, 36b, and the setting rack bars 30 which are supported on the transverse connectors 36c, 36d, and other members, not shown, on the carrier 36.

The carrier 36 has an enlarged rear part where the walls 36a, 36b are farther spaced than in the front portion of carrier 36. Four transversely bent lugs -33 are provided on the rear portions of carrier walls 36a, 36b and have threaded bores into which screws passing through four corresponding openings 24 in a cover 2, are threaded for securing cover 2 to the carrier 36 and thereby to machine bed 1.

The rear wall of cover 2 has a flange 26, which also extends along the side walls of cover 2, and is slightly spaced from the top face of the walls of housing 4, projecting over the same, as best seen in FIG. 3. The front wall of cover 2 has a horizontal flange 2a, whose top face is flush with the top surface of the bed plate 1. Cover 2 is secured to the carrier 36 in such manner that cover 2 does not engage any housing part, or the bed plate 1.

Rack bars 30 are arranged parallel to each other between the walls 36a, 36b of carrier 36 and are mounted for reciprocation thereon. The rack portions of rack bar 30 mesh with corresponding gear portions 32 of the type wheels 13, respectively, so that the type wheels 13 are selectively rotated for placing types representing selected digits in the cutout 13a for printing.

Each rack bar 30 has a manually operated upright rear portion 31a which project out of parallel slots 22 in cover 2. Detachable knobs 31 are secured to the upper ends of the portions 314, and are attached after cover 2 has been secured to the carrier 36.

As shown in FIG. 3, the underside of cover 2 has a row of teeth which are adjustably mounted along the respective slots 22. Engaging pieces 36 on carrier 36 cooperate with the teeth 25 for resiliently holding the rack bars and thereby the type wheels 13 in digital positions selected by operation of knobs 31 which are moved along slots 22.

After the gears 32 and thereby the type wheels 13 have been set to selected positions by operation of the setting knobs means 31, a copy sheet, such as a sales slip, is placed over the printing plates 11, 12 and the projecting portions of type wheels 13, guided by projections 14, where upon the carriage 5 with the platen roller 51 is moved over the printing bed plate 1 so that the information of the printing plate 1 1, 12, and the selected number represented by type wheels 14 is printed on the copy sheet, together with the date to which the date wheels 14a were set. Instead of one copy sheet, a pad having several copy sheets may be used, each of the copy sheets having a rear face with a layer with microcapsules embedded therein for making additional carbon copies.

From the above description of a preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that the printing unit 3, which includes the type wheels 13, setting means in the form of rack bars 30 with operating portions 31a and knobs 31, and carrier 36, is mounted on the bed plate 1 by means of carrier 36, and has no connection with the housing 4. The housing 4 is only a protecting annular shell carrying the printing bed plate 1 which fixedly supports carrier 36, and thereby all adjustable parts of the machine mounted thereon. An adjustment of the level of the type wheels 13 above the top face of the bed plate 1, can be easily obtained by fastening or loosening the nuts 19 on bolts 16 under the bed plate 1, without disassembling the numbering unit 3, or any other part. The rows of arresting teeth 25 on the underside of cover 2 may also be properly adjusted in relation to the associated rack bars 30 and detents 38 without influencing the position of any other part, since the cover 2 can be removed from the printing unit, and more particularly from its carrier 36, by loosening the screws in bores 24.

When the printing unit 3 has been completely assembled, with the exception of knobs 31, carrier 36 is secured to the bed plate 1, whereupon cover 2 is attached to carrier 36. Thereupon, the knobs 31 are attached to the upright portions of the rack bars 30, located above the top surface of cover 2, and being wider than slots 22. Finally, the printing bed with the numbering unit 3 is fixedly secured to the brackets 41 of housing 4. No part of the apparatus, except the printing bed plate 1, has to be adjusted with respect to the housing 4 during assembly of the machine, and particularly it is highly advantageous that the complicated printing unit 3 can be separately assembled. As a result, the printing machine according to the invention is easily and quickly assembled, and adjusted, and consequently inexpensive to manufacture.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of manually operated printing machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a printing machine in which a printing unit and a cover therefor are mounted on a printing bed plate supported on a housing, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can be applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Supporting housing assembly for a printing machine comprising, in combination, a housing having front and rear walls and side walls forming an opening at least on top of said housing; a printing bed plate secured to said housing and extending between said side walls along said front walls, said printing bed plate having a width less than the distance between said front and rear walls, and covering only the front portion of said opening; a printing unit comprising a carrier means secured to and supported by said printing bed plate, and having a front portion located under said printing bed plate and a rear portion located in said housing under said open rear portion of said opening, a printing mechanism supported by said carrier means and including a set of type wheels mounted on said front portion of said carrier means for rotation in a position projecting through a cutout in said printing bed plate to the top face of the same, and setting means for said type wheels mounted on said carrier means and having manually operated portions upward projecting from said rear portion of said opening; and cover means secured to said carrier means and extending to said side walls and to said rear wall, and into the proximity of said printing bed plate for closing said rear portion of said opening, said cover means having openings through which said manually operated portions of said setting means project above said cover means whereby said printing unit can be separately assembled.

2. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said printing bed plate has parallel front and rear edges spaced from said front wall and said cover means, respectively, and forming gaps with the same; comprising a carriage having lateral guide means located in said gaps and engaging said lateral edges of said printing bed plate, and a platen mounted on said carriage extending across said printing bed plate so that said carriage with said platen can be manually moved over said printing bed plate and said projecting type wheels.

3. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of threaded bolts secured to said printing bed plate downward projecting from the same; wherein said carrier means includes a plurality of bores into which said bolts project; and threaded means cooperating with said bolts for securing said carrier means to the underside of said printing bed plate.

4. Assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said carrier means has lugs forming said bores; and wherein said threaded means include nuts located under said lugs and screwed onto said bolts for pressing said lugs against the underside of said printing bed plate.

5. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cover means has a plurality of bores; wherein said carrier means has a plurality of lugs formed with threaded openings registering with said bores; and comprising screws in said bores having heads abutting said cover means, and threaded portions screwed into said threaded openings.

6. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of bolts secured to said printing bed plate downward projecting from the same in the regions of the ends of said printing bed plate; and wherein said side walls have inward projecting brackets formed with openings registering with said bolts and receiving the same; and threaded means cooperating with said bolts for securing said printing bed plate to said brackets and said housing.

7. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carrier means includes parallel upright walls having transversely bent horitontal lugs on the top edges, and threaded means for securing said lugs to the underside of said printing bed plate; and wherein said set of type wheels is located between said parallel upright walls supported on the same for rotation; wherein said setting means include rack bars located between said parallel upright walls meshing with gear portions of said type wheels; and guide means connecting said parallel upright walls for guiding the bottom portions of said rack bars.

8. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said walls of said housing form a bottom opening at the bottom of said housing; and comprising a bottom plate secured to said walls for closing said bottom opening.

9. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said man ually operated portions of said setting means include thin stems passing through said openings in said cover means which are constructed as narrow slots, and manually operable knobs located outside of said cover means and detachably secured to said stems after securing said cover means to said carrier means.

10. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top opening is rectangular; wherein said printing bed plate is rectangular; and wherein said cover means is rectangular and has a peripheral flange in the rear and on the sides projecting over part of the top faces of said rear wall and of said side walls spaced from the same in vertical direction a small distance; and wherein said cover means has a horizontal flange along the front thereof flush with said top faces of said side walls and said printing bed plate, and forming a gap with said printing bed plate.

i i i 

1. Supporting housing assembly for a printing machine comprising, in combination, a housing having front and rear walls and side walls forming an opening at least on top of said housing; a printing bed plate secured to said housing and extending between said side walls along said front walls, said printing bed plate having a width less than the distance between said front and rear walls, and covering only the front portion of said opening; a printing unit comprising a carrier means secured to and supported by said printing bed plate, and having a front portion located under said printing bed plate and a rear portion located in said housing under said open rear portion of said opening, a printing mechanism supported by said carrier means and including a set of type wheels mounted on said front portion of said carrier means for rotation in a position projecting through a cutout in said printing bed plate to the top face of the same, and setting means for said type wheels mounted on said carrier means and having manually operated portions upward projecting from said rear portion of said opening; and cover means secured to said carrier means and extending to said side walls and to said rear wall, and into the proximity of said printing bed plate for closing said rear portion of said opening, said cover means having openings through which said manually operated portions of said setting means project above said cover means whereby said printing unit can be separately assembled.
 2. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said printing bed plate has parallel front and rear edges spaced from said front wall and said cover means, respectively, and forming gaps with the same; comprising a carriage having lateral guide means located in said gaps and engaging said lateral edges of said printing bed plate, and a platen mounted on said carriage extending across said printing bed plate so that said carriage with said platen can be manually moved over said printing bed plate and said projecting type wheels.
 3. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of threaded bolts secured to said printing bed plate downward projecting from the same; wherein said carrier means includes a plurality of bores into which said bolts project; and threaded means cooperating with said bolts for securing said carrier means to the underside of said printing bed plate.
 4. Assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said carrier means has lugs forming said bores; and wherein said threaded means include nuts located under said lugs and screwed onto said bolts for pressing said lugs against the underside of said printing bed plate.
 5. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cover means has a plurality of bores; wherein said carrier means has a plurality of lugs formed with threaded openings registering with said bores; and comprising screws in said bores having heads abutting said cover means, and threaded portions screwed into said threaded openings.
 6. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of bolts secured to said printing bed plate downward projecting from the same in the regions of the ends of said printing bed plate; and wherein said side walls have inward projecting brackets formed with openings registering with said bolts and receiving the same; and threaded means cooperating with said bolts for securing said printing bed plate to said brackets and said housing.
 7. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carrier means includes parallel upright walls having transversely bent horitontal lugs on the top edges, and threaded means for securing said lugs to the underside of said printing bed plate; and wherein said set of type wheels is located between said parallel upright walls supported on the same for rotation; wherein said setting means include rack bars located between said parallel upriGht walls meshing with gear portions of said type wheels; and guide means connecting said parallel upright walls for guiding the bottom portions of said rack bars.
 8. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said walls of said housing form a bottom opening at the bottom of said housing; and comprising a bottom plate secured to said walls for closing said bottom opening.
 9. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said manually operated portions of said setting means include thin stems passing through said openings in said cover means which are constructed as narrow slots, and manually operable knobs located outside of said cover means and detachably secured to said stems after securing said cover means to said carrier means.
 10. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top opening is rectangular; wherein said printing bed plate is rectangular; and wherein said cover means is rectangular and has a peripheral flange in the rear and on the sides projecting over part of the top faces of said rear wall and of said side walls spaced from the same in vertical direction a small distance; and wherein said cover means has a horizontal flange along the front thereof flush with said top faces of said side walls and said printing bed plate, and forming a gap with said printing bed plate. 